


Kissing The King

by PFDiva



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Awkward Kissing, First Kiss, Gen, M/M, oldtown teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 05:48:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13140363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PFDiva/pseuds/PFDiva
Summary: Whatever Juno thought kissing someone, thought kissingMickwould be like, it's not this.  There's no fireworks, no sparks, no musical chimes or sweeping emotions.  Just his lips, mashed against Mick's, his fingers cramping in the leather of Mick's jacket, his calves burning from being on his toes for so long and the blackness behind his closed eyelids.





	Kissing The King

Later, Juno won't be able to explain what prompted him to do it, but by then, it will be too late.

Right now, Juno has two handfuls of Mick's jacket collar, and has hauled himself up to press an inexperienced kiss to Mick's lips. Juno is 12 and Mick is 14, so it's not like experience was going to be a factor.

Whatever Juno thought kissing someone, thought kissing _Mick_ would be like, it's not this. There's no fireworks, no sparks, no musical chimes or sweeping emotions. Just his lips, mashed against Mick's, his fingers cramping in the leather of Mick's jacket, his calves burning from being on his toes for so long and the blackness behind his closed eyelids.

Mick's head shifts and Juno leans in harder, bruising his lips against his teeth and desperately trying to make this work, why isn't it WORKING?

Mick's hands grasp Juno's shoulders, and Juno thinks, for a fleeting moment, that this will be when it gets better. It's not. Instead, Mick gently pushes Juno away, off-balancing Juno onto his heels and taking a step back. Juno stumbles back two steps, releasing Mick to catch his balance before glaring at the older boy.

"Juno, buddy…" Mick looks sheepish and uncomfortable, and Juno already knows what he's going to say. 'I'm flattered, but I'm not interested.' That's what they always say on the streams. Or 'It's not you, it's me.'

And suddenly, Juno can't take it. He can feel tears welling up behind his eyes and he can't cry, not here, not in front of the King of the Freeway.

He punches Mick in the face hard enough to stagger the older boy and runs. He just fucking runs away. He finds himself at the Wire place, with Annie outside, doing some stupid little-kid game. She asks him if he's okay, but he ignores that and asks if Sasha's around. She's in her room, and that is where Juno goes.

Sasha's doing her homework, because she actually does that shit, but she's only a little annoyed when he throws himself onto her bed and spends the next hour sniffling into her really nice pillows. Mrs. Wire brings Juno a peanut butter sandwich at some point, and by the time he's ready to eat it, Sasha's done with her homework and is sitting on the bed next to Juno, reading a book.

"He doesn't like me."

Sasha doesn't say something stupid like 'Who' or 'Mick likes everybody.'

"I think he's straight."

"He's stupid, is what he is."

"Yeah."

Benten comes looking for Juno some hours later, because it's late and Juno hasn't done his homework. Juno thanks Mrs. Wire for the sandwich and goes home. The next time he sees Mick, the self-proclaimed King of the Freeway has a black eye and a story to go with it. In it, Juno's helped him out some way, but it just makes Juno uncomfortable. He doesn't apologize for punching Mick, but he buys Mick a soda a week later with money scrounged up from around the gutters and he figures that's good enough.


End file.
